Committee and Date: Item/Paper Cabinet 10 November 2010 12.30 p.m. & Barrow Local 4 Joint Committee Date: 11 November 2010 Time: 6:00 p.m. Public

LOCALITY WORKING LOCAL JOINT COMMITTEES

Portfolio Holder Cllr Gwilym Butler Responsible Officer Samantha Hine e-mail: Sam.hine@.gov.uk Tel: 01743 Fax: 252591

Summary

Council agreed at its meeting in July to defer any decisions relating to changes in geographies of the LJCs, pending further discussion with local members1.

In the light of budget pressures and reduced number and capacity of senior officers in the Council, recent discussions amongst Members have considered that rather than reducing the number of Local Joint Committees, which are considered to be working well, it may be more appropriate to look at other ways to reduce costs, such as holding fewer LJC public meetings per year.

The recommendations included in this report are as a result of considerable discussions throughout the summer months.

Recommendations

Cabinet now agree that

A. All LJCs reduce the number of programmed, officer supported meetings per year, to between 2 and 3.

B. All LJCs combine the function of pre-agenda and de-brief meetings, thereby reducing the number of additional meetings of the committee supported by officers.

C. and Broseley divisions work together to create a new LJC, with two zones, each zone meeting twice per year, serviced by the same officer support team (see paragraph 10).

D. Brown Clee and Highley divisions work together to create a new LJC, with two zones, each zone meeting twice per year, serviced by the same officer

1 The exception to this was Moreton Say and Adderley parishes which have moved to with immediate effect.

1 support team (see paragraph 11).

E. The six LJCs remain, but meet only twice per year individually and twice per year as a collective, and that each Shrewsbury LJC budget be topsliced by 30% for Shrewsbury wide determination.

F. & Sheriffhales and Albrighton LJCs are retained as separate LJCs, meeting twice each per year, serviced by the same officer support team, and encouraged to join together for additional meetings and shared agendas as appropriate.

G. Bayston Hill LJC is retained, meeting twice per year and encouraged to join together with neighbouring LJCs for additional meetings and shared agendas as appropriate.

H. The and surrounding area LJCs remain as current but cluster for additional meetings, shared agendas and strategic area issues as appropriate.

I. The parishes of All Stretton, Smethcott and Woolstaston; Cardington; and Leebotwood & Longnor join StrettonDale LJC with immediate effect, for a trial period of 6 months/two meetings.

J. Where more frequent or localised community engagement is needed, local members are supported to host informal neighbourhood or community forums within their divisions. (Room costs for such meetings could be met from the Member Surgeries allowance of up to four per annum).

REPORT

1. The Local Joint Committees have now been meeting across the whole of Shropshire for twelve months. Most have proved successful with increasing public attendance and a variety of local issues discussed and resolved. The delegated budgets are supporting a wide range of community activity and all Shropshire Councillors are playing an active role in their LJCs.

2. Whilst some progress has been made during the first twelve months, the full potential of the LJCs to shape and influence Council policy and local delivery of key services has yet to be realised. Council agreed a number of recommendations at its meeting in July to seek to increase the role and responsibilities of local members through the LJCs.

However, Council agreed at its meeting in July to defer any decisions relating to changes in geographies of the LJCs, pending further discussion with local members. There was considerable opposition from all political groups to significant changes in the number and geographies of the current LJCs.

3. The Portfolio Holder for Community Working was tasked with finding a solution to this in the light of reduced capacity and Council resources. The recommendations in this report reflect the outcome of detailed discussions with many members of

2 Council that have taken place over the summer months.

4. It is clear the majority of members are committed to the LJCs as a key means of how the Council engages with its partners and local people in their communities across Shropshire. Whilst the limitations of the LJCs are acknowledged they are still considered an important element of our locality working.

5. It is important that the role, influence and decision making of the LJCs is further enhanced in the future, enabling Councillors to demonstrate more clearly their community leadership responsibilities.

6. As a result of discussions throughout the summer it is clear there is little appetite for wholesale change or for generally increasing the size of existing LJC geographies. A general preference for fewer meetings as an alternative to fewer committees has been expressed.

7. The recommendations in this report provide some compromise towards the financial pressures the Council faces, whilst enabling us to address some of the areas of difficulty identified through the LJC evaluation.

8. The recommendations in this report mean that there will still be twenty eight LJCs going forward. There are some minor geographical tweaks in the Market Drayton and area and a more significant change in the Much Wenlock, Broseley, Brown Clee and Highley area.

9. The Much Wenlock, Broseley, Brown Clee, Highley area of the county has proved particularly difficult to get right in terms of the geographies covered by the LJCs. Electoral boundaries here have added to the complications of finding a solution that ensures more than one Shropshire Councillor is represented on each LJC.

Recommendations C and D are a best compromise option. Detailed discussions have taken place with the four impacted local members and there is general consensus that this is the best option available.

10. Whilst Much Wenlock and Broseley divisions will join together to create a new LJC they will operate a two zone principle; one for Much Wenlock with surrounding parishes and one for Broseley and Barrow. They will be supported by the same officer team.

Both local members will each have a voting place at each zoned meeting, but the parish representatives will only have a vote within their own zone. Broseley will meet twice a year chaired by the Broseley member with a ringfenced budget, and Much Wenlock will meet twice per year chaired by the Much Wenlock member with a ringfenced budget.

11. This arrangement will also be implemented for Highley and Brown Clee. Highley and Brown Clee divisions will join together to create a new LJC and they will operate a two zone principle, with each zone meeting twice per year.

Both local members will each have a voting place at each zoned meeting, but the parish representatives will only have a vote within their own zone. Brown Clee will meet twice a year chaired by the Brown Clee member with a ringfenced budget, and Highley will meet twice per year chaired by the Highley member with a ringfenced budget.

3 12. As with all LJCs, the zones will be encouraged to cluster together for additional meetings and shared agendas as appropriate.

13. The only other significant change is in respect to Shrewsbury. There are currently six LJCs covering the county town and whilst these have worked well locally, the evaluation identified a significant weakness in terms of addressing cross Shrewsbury issues, sharing budgets to meet shared priorities, joint working to resolve shared problems or identifying town wide solutions.

Discussions have taken place with a number of Shrewsbury members. There is general consensus that the current six LJCs should be retained but that greater collaboration and cross Shrewsbury working should take place.

14. This report proposes that the current six LJCs continue to meet based on existing geographies twice per year, and that all six come together as a Shrewsbury wide LJC twice per year to address whole town issues. This will provide Shrewsbury residents with a very good opportunity to see Shropshire Council and Shrewsbury Town Council working well together for the benefit of the town.

It is recommended that senior officer input should be made available to the collective Shrewsbury LJC meetings, given its role as the county town. It is further proposed that each Shrewsbury LJC retain a portion of its budget at the local level and that a portion is top sliced for town wide consideration at the collective meetings.

15. A further report on how the LJCs will support the authority’s new Target Operating Model plus progress against the recommendations endorsed by Council in July, will be made to Council at the end of the financial year. This will include greater clarity on the community involvement and engagement potential of the LJCs, the role of the Council and the LJCs in helping to deliver the Big Society in Shropshire, the LJC Communications Strategy, the role of the Area Directors with the LJCs, and potential opportunities for greater delegation and influence by local councillors on service delivery and localised budgets.

List of Background Papers (This MUST be completed for all reports, but does not include items containing exempt or confidential information) Council Report July 22nd 2010 Human Rights Act Appraisal Recommendations are compatible with the provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998 Environmental Appraisal There are no environmental implications arising from the recommendations. Risk Management Appraisal There are no identified risks. Community / Consultations Appraisal Consultation has been undertaken by the Portfolio Holder with local members and impacted parish councils. Cabinet Member Councillor Gwilym Butler Local Member All Appendices None

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